Is it possible to bring a pet on board the train?

You've probably guessed it, not all carriers accept pets on board. Some train companies will have a strict policy regarding your pet while others will be more lenient.

Remember to check the conditions for traveling with animals on trains before booking your tickets.

With Ouigo, the SNCF's low-cost TGV brand, you will be able to take your pet with you, at the rate of one pet per adult. A few rules to follow on board Ouigo trains:

• Small animals weighing up to 6kg travel in a bag or cage with maximum dimensions of 45 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm, placed at your feet or on your lap.

• Larger animals travel at your feet, kept on a leash and muzzled.

In both cases, expect an animal ticket at €10 per animal (guide dogs or assistance dogs travel for free). The ticket can be booked directly with Ouigo, and remember to bring your animal's identification documents.

At SNCF, the policy regarding pet access on board is the same as for its Ouigo brand. You can take up to two pets per passenger with you. A few conditions on board SNCF trains:

• Small animals weighing up to 6kg travel in a bag or cage with maximum dimensions of 45 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm, placed at your feet or on your lap.

• Larger animals travel at your feet and must be muzzled throughout the journey to ensure the safety of all passengers, even if your animal is not aggressive.

The rate is now a flat fee of approximately €10 per animal, regardless of its size (sometimes €7 depending on offers). Guide dogs or assistance dogs travel for free and are not required to be muzzled. The animal ticket is booked directly with SNCF.

Good to know: the Thalys brand merged with Eurostar from October 1, 2023. On these continental lines (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam-Cologne), the conditions for animals remain similar to before:

Small animals (weighing less than 6kg) must travel in a cage with maximum dimensions of 45 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm. For larger animals, a special ticket must be purchased before the trip. These animals must be held on a leash and muzzled for the entire journey. Guide dogs for the blind travel for free and without a muzzle.

Be careful however: on Eurostar connections that use the Channel Tunnel (towards London in particular), animals are not admitted on board, with the sole exception of assistance dogs. So remember to check your route!

With Lyria, the train company that operates connections between France and Switzerland, you will be able to travel with your pets. For your journey between France and Switzerland, your pet will however have to comply with a few travel conditions:

• If it weighs less than 6kg, it must travel in a cage, on your lap or under your feet. The box in which it will travel must not exceed the following measurements: 45 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm.

• If it weighs more than 6kg, it must travel in a lying position under your feet for the entire journey. Also, you must keep your animal on a leash and muzzled to ensure the safety of all passengers. For them to travel without worry, these animals must have a dog ticket (approximately €30), which can be booked at SNCF and/or SBB counters.

• Finally, guide dogs for the blind can travel for free on board Lyria TGV trains. They are not necessarily muzzled during the journey.

Note: Thello, which formerly operated connections between France and Italy, ceased operations on July 1, 2021. These routes are now operated by Trenitalia France (Frecciarossa) and SNCF's TGV INOUI. To travel with your pet on these lines, refer to the Trenitalia conditions detailed just below, or to those of SNCF presented above.

The Trenitalia company is a bit like SNCF but in Italy! On their railway lines, you will be able to take your pet on board the trains to let it discover Italy (and we hope it will appreciate it!).

But be careful, to allow your pet to board Trenitalia trains, you will need to:

• Have it in a cage with maximum dimensions of 70 cm x 30 cm x 50 cm, if it is a small animal.

• Have it provided with a ticket purchased just for it if it is a larger dog (expect approximately €5 on weekdays and €1 on Saturdays on Frecce and Intercity trains, or 50% of the fare on regional trains). The latter must travel on a leash and equipped with a muzzle. For any information and/or to book your animal's ticket, visit the Trenitalia website.

• Finally, regardless of what pet you are traveling with, you must have its registration certificate and health record. These documents can be replaced by a pet passport. If you are missing any of these documents, you unfortunately will not be able to travel and you will be asked to leave the train. Better not to forget (this does not apply to guide dogs)!

  More information on the Trenitalia website.

At SNCB, the National Company of Belgian Railways as you will have guessed, you will have the opportunity to travel with your pet.

Indeed, small pets can travel for free in a travel crate with maximum dimensions of 55 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm.

Larger animals, on the other hand, can travel provided they have their own ticket. This pet supplement costs €3 per trip, so no need to worry about the price! Your animal must then be held on a leash and it is strongly recommended to equip it with a muzzle. Indeed, any SNCB employee can ask you to put a muzzle on it. So remember to have it with you!

To book a pet ticket, contact SNCB directly or go HERE.

On board SBB or CFF trains, you will be allowed to travel with your pet. Be careful however, the Swiss company is quite strict:

• For small animals, those not exceeding 30cm in height at the withers, they will be able to travel for free as long as they are placed in a bag, basket or transport cage.

• For larger animals, you will need to purchase a daily dog card at CHF 25 (valid all day), or a half-price ticket. For regular travelers, there is also a monthly card (CHF 60) and annual card (CHF 350). These passes are available at the station or on the SBB website.

Within Renfe trains, the Spanish company, you can take your pet with you, under certain conditions:

• Animals up to 10 kg travel in a bag or transport cage (approximately 60 x 35 x 35 cm maximum), with an animal ticket of approximately €10, on AVE, Avant and Larga/Media Distancia trains.

• New: on certain AVE lines (Madrid-Barcelona, -Malaga, -Alicante, -Valencia, -Seville…), dogs up to 40 kg are now accepted, with a supplement of approximately €35, kept on a leash and muzzled, in reserved seats for this purpose.

• Guide and assistance dogs travel for free.

To book your Renfe ticket, it's HERE.

Bad news with Eurostar: it is not possible for you to travel with your pet. Indeed, only guide dogs are accepted on board Eurostar trains and even then, there are a few conditions:

• Your dog must be accredited by Assistance Dogs OR The International Guide Dog Federation OR Assistance Dogs International.

• You must have the necessary documents to prove this accreditation on departure as well as on arrival.

• Finally, guide dogs must have a Eurostar ticket to travel. Booking is possible by contacting the Eurostar company directly.

For more information, go HERE.

In Germany, if you plan to travel with the railway company Deutsche Bahn, know that you will be able to take your pet with you!

Small pets, the size of a cat at most, can travel for free if they are placed in a travel cage, under your feet, on your lap or above you.

Larger animals must have their own ticket: expect half the adult fare on long-distance trains, and full fare on regional trains. Finally, for travel, large pets must be kept on a leash and muzzled.

Finally, of course, guide dogs are accepted on trains of the German railway company. These dogs travel for free and do not need to be muzzled.